


Glossary and Terms

by Demenior



Series: Werewolf [1]
Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Glossary, Potential Spoilers, Terms and Info
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 19:48:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/943955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demenior/pseuds/Demenior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terms and Definitions of words and titles and things in the Werewolf AU. Will be updated as the story progresses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glossary and Terms

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if anything is confusing or could be worded better! This is meant to make your (and my own) reading experience better :)

(Alphabetized for Convenience)

 **Alpha:** (Masculine- Dragga. Feminine- Drappa) A werewolf in the pack who is dedicated to the packs well-being. Preferably someone nurturing and kind, who is willing to lay down their life to protect their pack. Must be trusted by all members of the pack to hold any power. The Alpha status is given by the pack.

An Alpha’s main priority is the unity and happiness of the pack. As such, many Alphas are not combat-focused or necessarily tuned for war, hence the need for Princes. Alpha’s promote scenting and peace between pack members. They are keenly aware of the emotional state of all pack members and cannot resist getting involved if a member of the pack is in distress.

Alpha’s have the ability to wield their pack’s own will, to force them to do whatever the Alpha commands them to do.

Alpha’s also have a berserker strength they can access when their pack is in danger. They draw on the power and strength of the entire pack to channel it through their own body. It is very damaging to them and is only used in the worst of situations.

An Alpha _cannot_ intentionally harm a pack member as it is a direct violation of their very self. Any Alpha who becomes corrupt and wants to do harm is either driven mad or killed by their pack.

All werewolves have the glands needed to initiate the Werewolf Bite—but only Alpha’s can stimulate them. An Alpha is always in need of a pack. In the case of finding themselves alone, they will attack anything that moves with the intent of creating a new pack. All stories of humans being attacked and bitten by werewolves are due to Alpha’s who were separated from their packs due to the Portals or death of the pack.   

 **Andalite:** A werewolf term. Created for a sense of unity. Only a small number of werewolves out of the entire population actually guard the portals. Many believe it to be a job beneath them, or unnatural. The Andalites are those who guard the portals and travel between worlds. A rite of initiation is often to spend time among the humans Earthside and learn some of their customs and ways.

Being an Andalite makes a werewolf part of a pack no matter where they travel. All Andalites are a pack in that sense.

It is not uncommon for Andalites to have children Earthside, but due to the weak magic Earthside the children are often born entirely human. If a child is born a werewolf then it will be taken to Otherworld and raised in a pack. These half-breeds are often omegas in their own packs and generally will join the Andalites for their sense of belonging.

 **The Divide:** Refers to when the Elder Fae separated Otherworld from Earth

 **Earthside:** The Earth that we, humans, know. Anything on our side of the portals.

 **Escafil Device:** Created by the Andalites to aid in stabilizing the portals when transporting large numbers. Contain powerful magic. Only the Andalites have them and they are envied and desired for by all other species who have heard of them. If the Yeerks get their hands on one they can transport large numbers of forces and use other Portals to access other areas of Otherworld they could not travel to before.

 **Heart-Eating Ritual:** An ancient Werewolf ritual from when they were warring tribes. The heart was considered the vessel of the soul, and by eating it the werewolf who had died would be unable to escape the mortal plain. By trapping the soul in their own body the werewolf who ate the heart would then gain the courage and strength of those they had killed. By leaving the rest of the body to rot was a sign of dishonor to the enemy, as everything in a kill should be utilized. Nowadays considered barbaric.

“ **—kala** ” is an affectionate, non-romantic endearment to add to the end of someone’s name. Most common among children, or between close friends (as it is ‘cutesy’).

 **Nothlit:** A werewolf who has lost the ability to shift. Often in the case of identity loss, one is unable to recognize all forms of the body as self, and revert to only being able to control one body. Usually considered a death as it is extremely rare to regain the ability to shift after ‘losing’ the power. See also, ‘ _Feral_ ’, ‘ _Going Feral_ ’ for when the shifter is lost in animal form, and ‘ _Domesticating_ / _Being Domesticated_ ’ when they are trapped as a human.

 **Omega:** (Also known as Sikla) A werewolf without a pack. All werewolves are fearful and mistrustful of omega’s as they are not a werewolf’s natural state of being. Omegas are weak, as they are alone, and have a difficult time finding a new pack to accept them. The most common outcomes for Omega’s are death, becoming a nothlit or joining the Andalites. Death is considered the most honorable option.

 **Otherworld:** A world still in tune with magic. Where most fantastical creatures live. Very behind Earth in terms of technology. Most who live in Otherworld believe themselves superior to Earthside creatures.

There is no unifying government, though several kingdoms do exist. Otherworld is mirrored to Earth, and likely is Earth that exists in an alternate timeline. Some humans do live in Otherworld, but they are small in number.

The Elder Fae separated Otherworld from Earth when Man began drifting from the songs of magic.

 **Portals:** The gaps and overlaps of magic that create tunnels between Earth and Otherworld.  Naturally occurring. They can be crossed, but can also be fickle and unstable in nature. You are not always guaranteed to arrive where you would like to go, and the more often a portal is used the more likely it is to act up. Creatures that naturally walk in two or more worlds have a greater affinity for traveling the portals safely. This is why werewolves were recruited to guard and maintain them.

 **Prince:** A ranking term within the werewolf community. A Prince is the wolf who leads the pack in a crisis. Most often the Prince is the Alpha, but some packs exist where this is not the case. The Prince must be level-headed in all situations, and must have their packs survival as the top priority.

Among Andalites, who are made up of several packs and thus have many Alphas among them, the Princes rank above the Alpha’s and rely on the Alpha’s to make their word law.

 **Scenting:** A werewolf pack bonding action. By mixing scents the wolves are laying claim to one another, and reaffirming that they belong together.

Alpha’s are very particular to scent and must be sure that all members of their pack carry their scent. Any member returning from a long time away from the pack will have to endure the Alpha re-scenting them.

Scenting can be done in all forms. It requires lots of physical contact in order to leave a scent on one another.

 **Shorm:** (A werewolf term) Someone you trust so deeply they could even draw you out of being Nothlit. It is someone closer to you than family. Can be romantic, but often a platonic term. Can also be between family members. You would let them put their jaws around your human throat.

 **Visser:** A Yeerk military rank. The highest Visser ranking is Visser One. Below Visser’s are Sub-Visser’s. The Council sits above all of them.

 **Werewolf** : (Also- Man-Varg, with Varg being old word for wolf.) A creature that exists in three forms at will. Has strong connection to dark and moon magic. Strongest under light of full moon. Is neither human nor animal, but both at the same time. Walk a fine line between worlds and thus have an affinity for locating and moving between portals. Arrogant pack creatures—they value loyalty and honor above all else.  They have a weakness against silver, as it inhibits their ability to change shape and can result in the morph going wrong or no longer being able to morph. Wounds made by silver instruments will take longer to heal.

Werewolves are prone to losing control of themselves and picking one facet of themselves to adhere to. This can result in a bloodlust—a violent, beastly madness—or becoming a nothlit. Many creatures mistrust werewolves for this very reason, and so they often do not mingle with other species. The Fae gave them the honor of guarding and maintaining the remaining portals between worlds. This was seen as a slight against many other proud races and further distanced the werewolves from others.

The highest positions in the pack are the Alpha and the Prince. Otherwise there is no sort of formal hierarchy, though age is usually considered a common form of ranking. All pairs can mate, though they only do so when prey is plentiful and the pack can sustain another member.

A werewolf suddenly severed from its pack is often desperate to join a new one. They are most vulnerable to becoming a nothlit at this point. 

 **Yeerk:** A small slug-like creature that is blind and nearly deaf in its natural state. It has small means of locomotion and must remain close to a Yeerk Pool its entire life.

Yeerks are not a natural species and were born from the leftovers of dark magic. Much like ectoplasm, they form from the energy that dark magic such as necromancy or compulsion spells give off. They are only sustainable for three days outside of this energy field, called a Yeerk Pool.

The Yeerk’s most interesting quality is their ability to enter the ear canal and carve their way into the brain. From there they can assume control of an individual’s body, essentially trapping the creature in its own mind. The Yeerk then has all the benefits of this body until it must return to the Yeerk Pool.

 **Yeerk Pool:** A pool of dark energy that the Yeerks require to survive. A Yeerk must return to the pool every three days or else it will cease to exist. Yeerk Pools are difficult to maintain Earthside due to the weaker magic and as such the Yeerks were only able to mount an Earthside invasion after acquiring enough Kandrona Crystals which can replicate a nearly similar energy signature for them to survive.

The scent of Kandrona Crystals is very strong for a short period of time, and so the Yeerks fresh from the pool can be smelled by creatures with sensitive noses, such as werewolves.


End file.
